2K and Firaxis recently announced Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, the largest Civilization expansion pack ever released and the second expansion for Civ IV. Beyond the Sword will focus on new content and options for late game time periods after the invention of gunpowder, and will deliver 12 challenging and unique new scenarios. BtS will also introduce ten new civilizations, 16 new leaders, five new wonders, and a variety of new units.

Here are a few of the expansion's key features:

Expanded Epic Game: Firaxis Games delivers a massive increase in new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with additional focus on the late-game time periods.

New Game Scenarios: The expansion will deliver 12 new scenarios, many containing themes never before included in the Civilization series, custom designed by the team at Firaxis and select members of the CivFan Community.

New Civilizations: The expansion pack includes ten new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylon and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings.

Advanced Starts: A major fan request, this new feature will enable players to “buy” components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion pack in a shorter amount of time.

Enhanced AI: The AI has received many enhancements, making it tougher to beat on the higher difficulty levels. The ways in which the AI will attempt to achieve victory have also been expanded.

Although the original Civilization IV and the Warlords expansion have both reached the Mac, there is no word yet on Beyond the Sword's Mac future.